Lauren Walsh’s final-round 69 was enough to secure a T7 finish at the La Sella Open in Spain where England’s Charlotte Heath held her nerve to claim a first victory on the Ladies European Tour.
The tournament, originally slated for 72 holes, was reduced to 54 on Saturday as thunder and lightning forced several suspensions of play over the first three days, and that left the Kildare woman too far back going into the final round to mount any sort of serious challenge after a 73 in round two.
But, before turning her attention back to the LPGA Tour where she’s aiming to qualify for the season-ending CME Globe Championship, Walsh boosted her confidence by shooting a three-under 69 to close out the week.
Áine Donegan and Sara Byrne, the only two other Irish women to make the cut, each shot final-round 73s to finish in T3 and T42 respectively, but the big question entering the final round was whether Heath could hang on.
The Englishwoman shot a 65 on Friday to hit the front, and though she didn’t hit a single ball on Saturday, she saw her advantage grow as the other leaders all struggled over the final few holes of their second rounds.
The 24-year-old rookie started the final round with a four-shot advantage and, despite seeing her lead disappear during a tense Sunday afternoon, held her composure to card a final-round 73 and finish at 10-under-par, two shots clear of the field.
Heath’s front nine featured a solitary bogey at the fifth as she turned in 37, while Germany’s Helen Briem mounted a strong challenge and briefly drew level at nine-under-par through 13 holes. However, Briem immediately dropped a shot at the next, allowing Heath to reclaim the outright lead.
As Briem and Singapore’s Shannon Tan slipped back on the closing stretch, Italy’s Alessandra Fanali (pictured below) posted the clubhouse target at eight-under-par. The strongest challenge ultimately came from fellow Englishwoman Alice Hewson, who surged into contention with a birdie finish. Standing over an eagle putt on the 18th that would have tied the lead, Hewson narrowly missed before tapping in for birdie, joining Fanali at eight-under.
That left Heath needing a composed finish to seal the biggest victory of her career.
On the final hole, Heath split the fairway with her drive before finding a difficult position to the right of the green with her second shot. Unfazed, she pitched to nine feet and confidently rolled in a birdie putt to cap a remarkable week, finishing with two birdies and two bogeys across the back nine.
The victory earns Heath her first LET title, a €150,000 winner’s cheque and an unforgettable breakthrough moment in just her rookie season.
“It’s incredible,” said Heath. “This year, I’ve gone out in the leading group twice before, so I guess it’s third time lucky.
“It was incredible having Alex [Long] on the bag. He kept me so calm and just reminded me that I’d played good golf all week. When the pressure is on, negative thoughts can creep in, so I’m very, very happy to get it done.”
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